Shoemaking



F. W. STUART Dec. 15, 1931.

SHOEMAKING Original Filed May 7, 1929 PM W. Jinn/L7! BY ORNEY 1 of theshoe shall not be lost in wear.

Patented Dec. 15, 1931 STATES rruin w. STUART, on BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTSSHOEMAKIN G Original application filed May 7, 1929, Serial No. 361,052.Patent No. 1,747,331, dated. February 18, 1930.

Divided and this application filed January 10, 1930. Serial No, 419,856.

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of boots andshoes, characterized by the employment of a counter of novelconstruction.

The principal function of the counter or heel stiffener in a shoe istomaintain the rear or counter portion of the shoe in the lines impartedtoit by the last upon which it is made, so that the style and fittingqualities Heretofore, counters have been molded from leather orleatherboard, and although they are satisfactory at first in holding theshape of the shoe, they are likely to become set during extended wear ina more or less distorted tion I employ an improved counter of resilientmaterial molded to fit the heel of the wearer and tending, on account ofits resilient character, always to resume its correct initial conditionin the shoe, regardless of ,210 the length of time it may be worn.

As herein shown, the inner surface of my novel counter is smoothly andcontinuously curved, fitting substantially the entire heel of the wearerand furnishing a yielding and the fit of the shoe but also its comfortin wear, both on account of its cushioning effect and because itprevents the counter portion of the 1 shoe from slipping up and downupon the foot. While the inner surface of the counter conforms to thecurvature of the heel of the wearer, the outer surface thereof may beshaped independently to impart to the shoe the smooth lines of exteriorcurvature desired and the sharp break or vertex about the heel-seatthereof.

A counter constructed as above outlined possesses important advantagesfrom the standpoint of shoemaking in that it permits the use of around-ended'last by filling the clinging cushion which improves not onlyspace which mustotherwise be occupied by .the Wood of the last inshaping the shoe. In other words, it has been considered necessaryheretofore to shape the rear end of the last substantially to theexterior contour desired in the shoe, whereas by using the counter of myinvention it is possible to build up this desired shape by combining around-ended last with a molded counter having a body portion of asubstantial thickness about the heel- 0 seat and particularly at therear thereof. In this way, it is possible not only to improve the linesof the shoe but to remove the last easily from the lasted shoe withoutany tendpncy to damage or misplace the lining thereo In an importantaspect, accordingly, my invention consists in an improved method ofmaking boots and shoes which consists in lasting the upper at theheel-seat over a composite form, comprising a round-ended last and amolded counter which supplements the last and presents an exteriorsurface different I from the last'and corresponding substantial- 1y tothe shape desired in the counter portion of the shoe.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of a preferred embodimentthereof, selected for purposes of so illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which i Fig. 1 is a View in perspective of thecounter, showing a portion broken away;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the counter, suggesting in dotted lines anexpanded position; and

Fig. 3 is a view, partly in section, of the heel-seat portion of a shoelasted over the composite form of the last and counter. 9

The counter herein illustrated as bein suitable for use in carrying outthe method of my invention comprises a body portion 10 of rubber orrubber composition, or any material having the resilient characteristics)5 of rubber, molded with an interior surface 12, an exterior surface 14and a bottom portion comprising a connecting web 16. The inner surface12 is of smooth continuous curvature, merging into the surface of theweb loo marking off the curvature of the sides of the counter from itssubstantially flat bottom. It will be noted that the body of the counteris thus made considerably thicker opposite the vertex 15 than elsewhereand that a considerable mass of resilient material is included betweenthe rounded curvature of the interior face 12 of the counter and thesurfaces intersecting to form the vertex 15. The connecting web 16extends substantially continuously between the two sides of the counter,although its exact design is of secondary importance only, so long as ittends resiliently to return the sides of the counter to theirpredetermined initial position.

Fig. 2 suggests in an exaggerated manner the function of the connectingweb 16 in contracting and restoring the counter to such initialposition. The dotted lines indicate that the sides of the counter may bespread apart in conforming them to a last or for the reception of thewearers heel. The resilient web 16, however, tends at all times to bringthe sides of the counter into the position indicated in full lines.

In practicing the method of my invention, the insole 24 is firsttemporarily secured to y the bottom of the last 30, which, it will benoted, is shortened and rounded at its rear end upon a fairly longradius. The upper is slipped over the last in the usual manner with thecounter inserted between the lining 20 and the outer leather part 22. Inthis operation, the counter is fitted exactly to the rear end of thelast with the lining 20 between it and the surface of the last, and thebottom web 16 of the counter extending across beneath the rear end ofthe insole 24:. The lasting operation is then carried out and the outerleather portion of the upper is conformed to the exterior surface of thelast and of the counter as the latter is positioned and located by thelast. \Vhile the resilient material of the counter is placed more orless under compression during this operation, it is supported over itsentire area by the last in such complete and well-fitting manner thatitis substantially undistorted and imparts its lines accurately to theshoe. The shoe may be completed by attaching the outsole 26 and the heel28 in accordance with the usual processes of shoemaking and eventuallythe last 30 is withdrawn. It will be apparent, by an inspection of Fig.3, that this is greatly facilitated by the smooth curvature and shallowrounded shape of the rear end of the last, which is free immediately toleave the interior surface of the line counter without any tendency totear or displace the lining.

in the finished shoe, the molded resilient counter is incorporated inthe structure of the upper which-has been perfectly fitted to it duringthe lasting operation. On account of its resilient character, thecounter tends always to maintain its correct predetermined initialposition and to hold the counter portion of the shoe always in suchposition. Furthermore, it acts powerfully to restore that portion of theupper to its correct initial shape if temporarily distorted by wear orotherwise. The spread or opening of the upper edge of the counter shouldcorrespond to the thickness of the heel of the wearer, thus holding thecounter portion of the shoe yield ingly in position to produce a perfectfit and acting effectively to prevent gapping of the edge of the shoe inall positions of the foot. Under all these conditions, the connectingweb 16 of the counter is particularly effective in holding the sideportions thereof in the desired position. 7

While it is new to provide a counter of the characteristics abovediscussed and to use it in practicing the novel method of shoemakingdisclosed, it is believed that a boot or shoe has never heretofore beenconstructed in which is incorporated a molded counter of resilientmaterial acting yieldingly to maintain the sides of the counter portionof the shoe in a predetermined initial position and to restore them tosuch position'if distorted. The counter and the boot or shoe includingthe same are not claimed herein but constitute the subject matter of U.S. Letters Patent No. 1,747,331 granted February 18, 1930, on myapplication Serial No. 361,052, filed May 7, 1929, of which the presentapplication is a division.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method of making boots and shoes, which is characterized by thesteps of building out the heel end of a round-ended last by placingthereon a counter having a thick peripheral portion with a smoothlycurved inner face fitting the heel-seat of the last and an exteriorsurface of asubstantially different shape from the last, and thenlasting an upper upon the composite surface presented by the last andcounter. I

2. The method of making boots and shoes, which is characterized by thesteps of supplementing the rear end of a round-ended last by a moldedcounter having an interior surface rounded to fit the last, an exteriorsurface of substantially steeper curvature limited by a peripheralvertex about its heelseat and a zone of maximum thickness lying withinsaid vertex, lasting an upper over the composite surface presented bythe last and counter, and then removing the last without disturbing thecounter.

3. The method of making boots and shoes, which is characterized by thesteps of placing an insole upon a round-ended last, 10- eating a linedupper on the last with a molded counter therein which builds out theheelend of the last and has a resilient web extending between its sideswhich is inserted between the last and insole, the counter beingsupported at every point by the last and presenting an exterior surfaceof substantially different shape from the last, lasting the upper overthe composite surface presented by the last and counter, and removingthe last leaving the counter portion of the shoe yieldingly maintainedin its lasted position by the resilient web of the counter.

FRED W. STUART.

